Stranger Raises Funds For Pierre Damas Bel’s Family After Husband Witnessed His Death

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 3, 2026: A stranger whose husband witnessed the aftermath of Pierre Damas Bel’s death is now raising money for the Haitian student’s family, as new details continue to emerge about the toll his ICE ankle monitor took in his final weeks.

Barbara Fidler of Worthington, Ohio started a GoFundMe for Bel’s family after her husband came upon the scene on Interstate 70 the morning of August 31, according to the Springfield News-Sun. Fidler said she felt a connection to the family through what her husband witnessed and wanted to help cover funeral expenses, counseling, and support for Bel’s younger siblings. “I don’t care if they ever know who I am, my name, nothing; I would just love them to open their mailbox one day and get a huge check and just be like, ‘Please put this towards your lives,’” Fidler said. “I’m so tired of how we’re treating them. I’m so embarrassed by our country, our people.”

The GoFundMe has so far raised $9,268 raised of its $35K goal.

Pastor Carl Ruby of Central Christian Church in Springfield, who has been supporting the family since Bel’s death, said at a Tuesday press conference that although the family wanted to see the ankle monitor, authorities had already removed it before they could view Bel’s body, noting it was government property.

New details on his final weeks

According to NBC4, Bel’s father said the ankle monitor was the primary factor in his son’s death, alleging Bel had been bullied by classmates at Wright State and “felt like he was treated like an animal.” Bel reportedly made two trips to regional ICE offices asking that the monitor be removed so he could play college soccer. His father said Bel was the only JROTC member in his group at Wright State not to receive his uniform, which he alleged was because of the monitor.

Bel leaves behind his parents and two younger siblings, according to Yahoo News. Ruby said Bel’s 3-year-old sibling does not yet understand what happened, while his 15-year-old brother is described as quiet and distraught, reportedly frightened of being sent back to Haiti and holding on to the importance of education that Bel had instilled in him. Ruby said the family had wanted to send Bel’s body back to Haiti but that this was not an option.

Yola Lamarre, a mentor and close friend of Bel’s with the Haitian Community Network, told CNN that Bel had shared depressive thoughts with her in the weeks after the ankle monitor policy began targeting Haitians in Springfield. “There’s nothing illegal or criminalizing about Pierre Damas Bel, not even a traffic ticket, and it shouldn’t have to get to this point for this administration to understand that there’s blood on their hands,” Lamarre said.

VIGIL

More than 100 people gathered outside Columbus City Hall Wednesday night to remember Bel. The crowd gathered with candles and signs calling for changes to the federal ankle monitor program, ending the vigil with candles lit in Bel’s memory. For those who knew him, the night centered on remembering Bel as a son, brother, student, athlete and friend, beyond the immigration status and ankle monitor that had come to define his final weeks.

Several of Bel’s coworkers from Texas Roadhouse in Springfield traveled to Columbus to honor him. Sarah White, a coworker, said Bel came to work every day with a smile, trying to create a loving environment for everyone, according to 10TV. Fellow coworker Niesha Davis described him as “so smart” and “so sweet,” saying that even with the odds stacked against him, he still tried to stay positive every day.

Coworker Samantha Anderson emphasized that Bel was not a criminal, noting he had come to the U.S. legally and was among the Haitians whose Temporary Protected Status ended in July; he had also applied for asylum. “He was someone that was going to be somebody,” Anderson said. “And he was somebody that was going to make a name for his family.”

Remembered for his ambition

Bel had started his freshman year at Wright State University the week before his death, planning to study neuroscience with hopes of eventually attending medical school. Friends said he was also passionate about soccer and had been recruited to play at the collegiate level.

Lamarre, a friend who organized the vigil, said Bel was “so adamant about education,” according to 10TV, and had been working hard to improve his English in pursuit of medical school. Lamarre said a classmate told her that pressure, combined with the ankle monitor placed on Bel on July 29, had weighed heavily on him. “The very thing he loved outside of education, sport, was stripped away from him because of the ankle monitor,” she said.

Coworker Caleigh Jenkins recalled that weeks before his death, coworkers had written letters on Bel’s behalf regarding his ankle monitor for his immigration judge. “A few weeks ago, we all wrote letters about his ankle monitor for his judge, and now we’re all saying goodbye to our friend,” Jenkins said. She remembered his pride in his 3.8 GPA and his soccer ambitions. “It’s just so sad how such a cruel world really dimmed one of the brightest lights we had,” she said. “I wish Pierre knew that he was more than the names he was called and the things he endured.”

Family and community solidarity

Haitian community representative Nadia Jean-Jacques spent time with Bel’s family in Springfield before attending the vigil, saying they needed comfort and to know they were not alone. During the event, Lamarre connected Bel’s father by video call so he could see the crowd gathered in his son’s memory. Lamarre said Bel’s father told her, “This was my son, but he was the leader of our family.”

Jean-Jacques said Bel’s death has resonated widely. “Pierre was a son. He was a brother. He was a nephew. He was a cousin. He was a friend. He was a co-worker,” she said. “He could have been my son.”

State Rep. Munira Abdullahi spoke at the vigil alongside other elected officials, including Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, state Sen. Hearcel Craig, and Whitehall City Council member Amy Harcar. “Pierre was only 20 years old. He was a son. He was a friend. He was a student, and most importantly, he was a person,” Abdullahi said. “He was a human being with his whole life ahead of him, and the cruelty that we’re seeing across our country ended that life short.”

Haitian immigrant Pierre Damas Bel, 20, had just started his first semester at Wright State University studying neuroscience when he was fitted with an ICE ankle monitor following the Supreme Court’s TPS ruling; his family says he died by suicide after being taunted by classmates

Organizers used the gathering to call for an end to the ankle monitor program and for changes to immigration policy, saying federal enforcement measures had created circumstances they believe contributed to Bel’s death. Jean-Jacques said she hopes the community’s support extends beyond the vigil itself. “Every time there is a tragedy, something tragic has happened, and the next thing you know, everybody’s gathering together,” she said. “Two weeks later, everybody’s in their sleep.”

NewsAmericas Now will continue following developments related to Pierre Damas Bel’s death and Haitian TPS policy. Reporting from the Springfield News-Sun, CNN, NBC4 and Yahoo News contributed to this story.

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